Modeling Mosaic Degradation of X-Ray Measurements of 433 Eros by NEAR-Shoemaker

One of the primary accomplishments of the NEAR-Shoemaker mission to 433 Eros was the first measurement of the elemental composition of an asteroid. X- and -ray detectors measured characteristic emission lines for a variety of elements. The X-ray results are usually presented as elemental ratios, which are thought to eliminate geometric and mosaic degradation effects. One of the mission goals was to determine the best meteoritic analog for Eros. The X-ray data obtained from the surface of Eros appear consistent with an ordinary chondrite composition that has been depleted in sulfur.